Directly Editing Repository Configuration Files
Add and remove repositories by directly editing text files located in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ (apt repositories) or ~/.local/share/flatpak/repo/ (Flatpak repositories).
Manually Adding apt Repositories
In order to manually create a text file for a repository, it's important to understand the deb822 format. This format organizes a repository's attributes into human-readable fields.
| Field | Function |
|---|---|
| X-Repolib-Name | Define the name of the source. This is used by Repoman in the Source column of the Extra Sources tab. |
| Enabled | Enable or disables the repository. |
| Types | Define whether the repository hosts binary packages, source files, or both. |
| URIs | Provide the repository's address. |
| Suites | Add the sources used to update packages. This field corresponds with the toggle switches in the Updates tab in Repoman. |
| Components | Specify if the source should include software that is open-source, closed-source, officially supported by Canonical, or community-maintained. This option corresponds with the toggle switches in the Settings tab in Repoman. |
For example, here is the deb822-formatted file for Pop!_OS's 22.04 proprietary application repository:
X-Repolib-Name: Pop_OS Apps
Enabled: yes
Types: deb
URIs: http://apt.pop-os.org/proprietary
Suites: jammy
Components: main
To manually create an apt source, open the Terminal and navigate to /etc/apt/sources.list.d/:
cd /etc/apt/sources.list.d/
Create a new text file using nano, or a text editor of your choice:
sudo nano [my-new-source-name].sources
Define the fields for your source:
Save your text file. Use the apt-manage tool with the list option to verify the apt source has been added:
apt-manage list
Manually Removing apt Repositories
Open the Terminal and navigate to /etc/apt/sources.list.d/.
cd /etc/apt/sources.list.d/
Use the rm command with the source's filename to remove an apt source.
sudo rm [SourceFileName]
Use the ls command to list the current sources and confirm the source has been removed.
ls
Manually Adding Flatpak Repositories
All fields for a remote repository are described in the Flatpak command reference.
| Field | Function |
|---|---|
| [remote "repo-name"] | Define the name of the repository. |
| url | Specify the repository's location. |
| xa.title* | Define the title of the repository. |
| gpg-verify | Specify if GPG verification should be used for content in this repository. |
| gpg-verify-summary | Specify if GPG verification should be used for the summary. |
| xa.comment* | Add an optional comment. |
| xa.description* | Add an optional full-paragraph description. |
| xa.icon* | Add an optional URL that points to an icon. |
*These options are often used to represent the remote repository in a GUI program.
This example shows the config file entry for the Flatub beta repository:
[remote "flathub-beta"]
url=https://dl.flathub.org/beta-repo/
xa.title=Flathub beta
gpg-verify=true
gpg-verify-summary=true
xa.comment=Beta builds of Flatpak applications
xa.description=Beta builds of Flatpak applications
xa.icon=https://dl.flathub.org/repo/logo.svg
xa.homepage=https://flathub.org/
To manually add a Flatpak remote repository, open the Terminal and navigate to ~/.local/share/flatpak/repo:
cd ~/.local/share/flatpak/repo
Open the config file using nano, or your preferred text editor:
nano config
At minimum, a Flatpak remote repository should contain these fields:
[remote "New Flatpak Repository"]
url=https://new.flatpak.repo.org/apps/
gpg-verify=value
gpg-verify-summary=value
Save the config file and exit your text editor.
Use the flatpak command with the remote-list option to verify the new Flatpak repository has been added:
flatpak remote-list
Manually Removing Flatpak Repositories
Open the Terminal and navigate to ~/.local/share/flatpak/repo/.
cd ~/.local/share/flatpak/repo/
Open the config file using nano, or your preferred text editor:
nano config
Delete the lines that define the Flatpak repository you want to remove:
Save the file and exit your text editor.
Use the flatpak command with the remote-list option to verify the new Flatpak repository has been removed:
flatpak remote-list
